Arsenal has always been at the cutting edge of the football world. And no man in Arsenal's illustrious history has been more innovative than Herbert Chapman.
Chapman was a true visionary, a master tactician, and his arrival at Highbury in 1925 ushered in a golden era for the Club. Never one to rest on his laurels, Chapman's innovations transformed Arsenal and the whole landscape of football in Britain.
In 1930 he guided Arsenal to its first major trophy - the FA Cup - and went on to win league titles in 1931 and 1933. Chapman's untimely death in January 1934 stunned the football world but his work had already elevated Arsenal to the highest echelons of the game.
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But Chapman was about so much more than success on the pitch; his far-sighted ideas and methods quite simply changed football. That's why the Club's new away kit will celebrate the pioneering spirit of the late, great Arsenal manager.
In the weeks building up to the kit launch, Arsenal.com will be focusing on Chapman's innovations. Arsenal.com will also tell the story behind the ideas which transformed the game forever.
The new away kit is out on July 5. Pre-order your kit online from June 11 onwards and you'll get a free football
White Sleeves
Chapman introduced white sleeves to the previously all-red Arsenal shirts in 1934 but how this idea came about depends on which source you believe. One version of events has Chapman spotting someone in the Highbury crowd wearing a red sleeveless sweater over a white shirt. A look that he felt it would help the players identify each other on the pitch.
Another school of thought has it that famous cartoonist Tom Webster had worn a sleeveless blue pullover over a white shirt whilst playing golf with Chelsea chairman, Claude Kirby.
Kirby was struck by the colour combination and flirted with the possibility of adding white sleeves to the blue Chelsea shirt. Herbert Chapman on being told of the incident by Webster asked the cartoonist to sketch out the idea, which met with Chapman's approval and was adopted.
The new design also incorporated the Club badge, which was positioned on the left-hand side of the shirt.
Another change to the playing kit saw hoops added to the players socks in 1930 to help them pick each other out whilst looking down at the ball.
Chapman also felt that having a brown ball on a muddly pitch made it difficult for spectators and players alike to follow the game. Chapman, therefore, introduced a white ball which made the game more of a spectacle.
